Dispensing carton



Nov. 3, 1964 M. WILLIAMSON ETAL 9 3 5 DISPENSING CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1962 Nov. 3, 1964 M. WILLIAMSON ETAL & 3

DISPENSING CARTON Filed Jan. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 46 47 'M 48 50 490 5u M 49 5 INVENTORS MARSHALL I. LWLLIAMSON ATTORNEYS United States patent 3,155,276 DTSPENSING CARTON Marshall I. Williamson, New York, NY., and John F. Lee, Paterson, NJ., assignors to Federal Paper Board Company, Inc Bogota, NJ., a Corporation of New York Filed San. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 1682192 8 Clains. (Ci. 221-302) This invention relates to cartons for dispensing cups, and has for its object the provision of an improved carton and a blank for forming the carton. The invention is concerned primarily with a carton for containing and dispensing drinking cups which are tapered cups having a top rim. The blanks and cartons of the invention are formed of paperboard and are shaped and proportioned to contain a column or stack of cups which are nested together and to releasably hold them for removal one at a time.

The carton of the invention is formed of a single blank,

and is mult-sided, preferably of rectangular cross-section,

and is relatively long. The cross-sectional dimension is slightly larger than the diameter of the cups and the carton is of such length that it will receive a column or stack of, say, two dozen or more cups in telescopic order. The top of the carton may have any suitable means tor holding it in an operable position, advantageously a top closure having means for hanging the carton in an upright position for dispensing the cups.

One important aspect of the carton resides in the construction of the bottom portion which normally supports the stack of cups from the bottom of the lowermost cup but which may be moved to a lower position to hold the stack in dispensing position by the rim of the lowermost cup. `The bottom comprises rib means for holding the entire'stack merely by the rim of the lowermost cup, which means has such yieldable engagement with the rim that the lowermost cup can be pulled free and the next cup is immediately engaged by its rim and held in position for removal.

The lower portion of the carton comprises cup support ing members formed of folded panels which can be set ;in an upper position to project into the carton to hold the cups in their upper position but which can be moved to :a lower position to form stift but yieldable ribs extending inwardly from opposite inner sides of the carton. The bottom preferably comprises interconnected closure panels which close the bottom and hold said cup supporting members in their upper position but which may be opened to let the stack slide down to set the cup supporting mernbers in the lower position and the ribs form so that the lowermost cup is held by its rim on the ribs in an exposed position. Advantageously, the bottom closure panels assume a recessed position whereby the walls of the carton terminate in a folded edge on which the carton can rest in an upright position.

i The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention in which FIG. 1 is a plan View of a blank for the carton;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a carton of the invention containing a stack of cups;

FIG. 3 is a view from below of FIG. 2;

FlG. 4 is a view similar to FTG. 3 with the bottom closure panels removed;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional View of the lower portion of the carton of FIG. 2 showing the cups in depending dispensible position, and i FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views of the cup supporting menbers showing different positions of setting up the panels in the erection of the carton.

The blank of the invention llustrated for a carton iwhich is rectangular in cross-section comprises four rece tangular and elongated panels 1, 2, 3 and 4 interconnected along fold lines 5, 6 and 7, and a glue flap 8 interconnected to panel 4 along fold line 9. These panels form the side walls of the carton of FIGS. 2 to 5. Extending above the fold line 12 are panels consisting of closure fiaps 13 and 14 which fold inwardly over each other, and top closure panel 15 having a slit 16 on the fold line 12 and a tuck lap 17 foldahle on the fold line 18. The edges of fold line 18 have slits 19 and 20 which, when the carton is closed, make looking engagement with the edges 22 and 23 of the :haps 13 and 14 in what is known as a shtir-lock" engagement. The panel 24 has an intermediate fold line 25 and an end fold line 26 forming two panels 27 and 28, and tuck flap 29. The panels 27 and 28 have holes 32 and 33 respectively which, as shown in FIG. 2, coincide when the panels are folded together to form a hanger for the i carton. Any suitable means for' holding the carton may be used. When the carton is closed the flap 29 is inserted into the slit 16 to secure the suspending panel 24 in position. When this flap is pulled out of the slit and the folded panel 24 is erected as in FIG. 2, the holes 32 and 33 can be used to hang the carton on a hook.

The bottom of the blank and especially the panels 2 and 4 have cup supporting members 35 and 36 foldable along lines 44 and respectively. These members have glue fiaps 39 and 46 foldable along lines 42 and 43 respectively. The fold lines 44 and 45 are substantially in line with slightly U-shaped cuts 46 and 47. These fold lines and cuts divide members 35 and 36 into intermediate panels 48 and 49, and 50 and 51 respectively. Panels 49 and 51 are further divided along slitted fold lines 52, 53 and 54, 55 to form the narrow rib panels 56 and 57 respectively. This Construction also divides panels 49 and 51 to form panels 4941 and 51a between fold lines 44 and 52 and 45 and 54 respectively. The told lines 52 and 54 have three slits each which make them weaker and easier to break than told lines 53 and 55 which have only two slits each. (The importance of these slitted told lines will be described later.)

The panels 1 and 3 have bottom closure panels 60 and 61 which are foldable along the nicked lines 62 and 63. These panels have fold lines 64 and 65 connected with U-shaped cnts 66 and 67 which divide the panels 60 and 61 into two panels 68, 69 and 70, 71 respectively.

The panels 69 and 71 have integral ears 75, '76 and 77, and 78, 79 and 80 respectively the function of which will be described later.

In forming the carton of the invention in the plant of the blank manufacturer, the blank of FIG. 1 is passed through a gluing operation to apply glue to the underside of fiap 8 and the upper surfaces of flaps 39 and 4@ as viewed in FIG. l. Then cup supporting members 35 and 36 are folded along score lines 44 and 45 and flaps 39 and 4@ are glued to panels 2 and 4 respectively. 'Then panel porting members 35 and 36 are tapered to facilitate folding panels 4 and 1. The carton as thus formed is semierected and may be shipped in this form to a manufacturer of cups who completes the carton erection and packaging of the cups.

The erected carton of FIGS. 2-5 is formed by pushing the panels 1, 2, 3 and 4 so as to give the carton the square cross-section shown in FIGS. 2-5. The stack of cups may be inserted and then the top is closed by folding panels 13 and 14 inward with panel 14 over panel 13, then panel 15 over panel 14 and tucking in fiap 17 so that the edges 22 and 23 engage the'slits 19 and 20. The hanger 24 is folded over panel 15 and the ap 2? is inserted into slit 16 and the top is closed. When the carton is to be Suspended for use, the hanger is pulled to an upright position, folded over on itself with the ap 29 inserted into the carton along panel 1 as shown'in FIG. 2. The two holes 32 and 33 coincide and this gives a reinforced hanger. The carton may also be held in upn'ght dispensing position by glue, a bracket or other means.

The positions of the cup supporting members of PKG. 2 are attained from the semi-erected carton as follows: From the flat position of the cup supporting members 35 and 36, after gluing theflaps 39 and 40, they are lifted to the position of PKG. 6 and pressure is applied mechanicaily in the direction of the arrow which, because of the Weak fold lines 52 and 54, causes the panels to break along these lines as shown in FIG. 7 and not along lines 53 andSS. On further pushing the panels break along the less weakened fold lines 53 and 55 as shown in FIG. 7. This permits the cup supporting members to assume the position shown in FIG. 2. If lines 52 andSL were not weaker than lines 53 and 55 this sequence of folding could not be achieved mechanically in any practical operation. FIG. 2 shows that the cup supporting members 35 and 36 can assume upper position which supports the column of cups C from the bottom of the lowermost cup. Various means may be used to hold the members this position, such as the preferred bottom closure shown. When the members are in this position the bottom closure 6@ is pnshed inwardly into bearing contact with panels 4% and 5111 of the members 35 and 36 respectively until the ears 75 and '77 snap into the slits 46 and 47. Then panel 71 is pushed inwardly over panel 69 until the ears '73 and 3@ also snap into position in the slits 46 and 47. Since panele@ underlies panel '71 and also has the slit 66, the ear 79 of panel "ll snaps into this slit 66. In this case ear 76 has no function, but it will snap into slit 67 if panel 71 is first folded in with panel 59 thereover. It

will be apparent from the Construction of the various members forming the bottom closure that panel 71 is identical with panel 69 and could be folded into position ahead of panel 69 rather than after it. It will be noted with reference to FlGS. 2, 4 and 5 that the panels 638 and 7 ti of the bottom closures slope upwardly at a sharp angle and that the panels 48 and 50 of the cup supporting members 35 and 36 also slope upwardly at the same angle with the result that the closed bottom is appreciably above the lower folded edges of the carton which extend along the nickecl lines 62 and 63 and the fold lines 37 and 38. The carton accordingly can rest in a stable position on these four edges since the bottom is held in an Upward or concave position.

When it is desired to use the carton for dispensing the cups the carton is held upright or Suspended from the hanger 24 and the edge of the carton along fold line 63 is pushed outwardly to releasethe ear '76. Then the edges of the carton along fold lines 37 and 38 are push-ed outwardly to free the cars 75 and 77 and 73 and E@ to permit the column of cups to fall to the position shown in FIG. 5. The bottom closures no longer perform any utility and can be removed by tearing them oti along the nicked lines 62 and 63.

Vi hen' the bottom closure panels have been released as aforenentioned the weight of the column of cups forces the cup supporting members 35 and 36 to move downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FlG. 5. three thicknesses of material which offer resistance to the spreading apart of the carton by reason of the rims R sliding downwardly along the 'inclined surfaces of the panels 49 and 51 The narrow panels 56 and 57 are bent along the slit weakened lines 52, 53 and 54, 55 respectively, Whereby the angles formed between panels 49@ and 56, between Slaand 57, between 56 and 49 and between 57 and 51 are relatively sharp making rib panels 56 and 57 relatively stitt and well defined whereas otherwise they i would be rounded and soft.

As a result of this Construction of the cup supporting As shown in FIG. 5 there are then r members 35 and 36 they support the entire column of cups without weakening and dropping them. However, they have su cient resiliency to yield when the lowermost cup is pulled downwardly and to spring back and still firmly support the remaining cups on the ribs 56 and 57 which immediately engage the rim of the next lowermost cup.

The invention has been described and illustrated in an advantageous embodiment having four sides; however, the carton of the invention may be hexagonal or octagonal in cross-section in which cases also there are one or more cup supporting members.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated there are two cup supporting members facing each other on opposite sides. n another embodiment of the invention, the cup supporting member on one side may be omitted by shaping or proportioning the one cup supporting member to have such stifness that it will hold the stack of cups and release them as described above. In still another variation of the invention one cup supporting member as illustrated may be used on one side and on the opposite any suitable obstruction to the free movement or release of the cup rim may be provided, such as a notch, ridge or attached sheet of paperboard.

We claim:

l. A canton for containing and dispensing cups of the type which have top rims and can be nested together in staclts which comprises a structure formed within its side walls for receiving a staclc of cups, at least two of the opposite side walls having panels folded to form stili but yieldable cup supporting members extending from opposite side walls into the carton, said members each being formed of a plurality of panels and a glue fiap, one of the panels being foldable along a score line between the panel and the side panel and with the glue flap glued to the inside of the side panel in such a position that the remaining panels are angularly bent along score lines so as to form cup supporting projec tions which can be pulled downwardly to form projecting ribs which bear against the top sides of the cups and engage and hold the entire stack by the rim of the lowermost cup. i

2. A carton as defined in claim 1 which comprises a removable bottom closure for the carton having projecting ears which enter slits in the panels of the cup supporting members for holding the cup supporting members in an upper position to support the cups when the bottom is closed, the cup supponting members being movable to a lower cup-supporting position when the bottom is opened.

3. A carton as defined in claim 1 in which one of said panels is relatively narrow and bent along slitted score lhes at sharp -angles to form a Well defined relatively stifi r 4. A carton for dispensing cups of a type which have top rims and tapered to nes-t together in a column, four side Walls forming an -elongated receptacle of substan- ;tially square cross-section, means for holding the carton in an upright position with the bottom free, two of the opposite side walls having integral panels folded inwardly to form inwardly. projecting and resilient cup supporting members which engage and hold the rim of the lowermost cup, each member having a plurality of* panels folded along score lines including a flapsecured to the inside of its wall and anarrow panel which is sharply bent from its -adjoining panels to form a rib of 'such stiffness that it will hold the column of cups but will yield :to permit removal of the iowermost cup, 'the cup supporting members being movable to an upper position to hold the 'cups when the carton bottom is closed and to a lower position to engage the rims when the carton is used for dispensing the cups, a carton bottom closure having a hinged member on each of two opposite side walls, each hinged member having a nicked line to facilitate its removal when 'the closure is opened, and a projecting ear on each hinged member for engaging a slot in a side panel to hold the bottom closure in closed position.

5. A carton as defined in claim 4 in which the bottom panels are pushed nwardly to `a locked position leaving edges formed along fold lines on which the carton can be set in an upright position.

6. A carton as defined in claim 4 which oomprises cup supporting members each having four panels and a glue flap glued to the inside of its wall, said members being movable to an upper position to project into the carton to support the cups When the closure is closed and movable to a lower position to engage the rims and hold the cups in the dispensing position.

7. A carton for dispensng cups of a type which have top rims and tapered to nest together in a column, four side walls forming an elongated recep tacle of substantially square cross-section, means for holding the carton in an upright position with the bottom fnee, two of the opposite side walls having integral panels folded inwardly to form -inwardly projeoting and resilient cup' supporting members which engage and hold the rim of the lowermost cup, each cup supporting member consisting of four panels one of 20 which is a rib panel and one a glue fiap all on one side wall, said panels being folded inwardly and the glue flap glued to the inside of its side wall, the rib panel being narrow and formed between slitted fold lines to give a sharp angle of bend which gives the rib such stiffness that it will hold the column of cups but will yield to permit removal of the lowermost cup, the cup supporting member s being movable to an upper position to hold the cups when the carton is closed and to a lower position to engage the cup rims when the carton is used for dispensing the cups, and an openable closure for the bottom of the carton which holds the cup supporting members in their upward position to support the column and when the closure is opened lets the cup supporting members fall to a position ot engage the rims of the cups.

8. A carton as defined in claim 7 consisting of a single blank formed so that the grain of the paperboard runs in the longitudinal direction of the ribs.

Bergman July 13, 1920 Co y 11, 961 

1. A CARTON FOR CONTAINING AND DISPENSING CUPS OF THE TYPE WHICH HAVE TOP RIMS AND CAN BE NESTED TOGETHER IN STACKS WHICH COMPRISES A STURCTURE FORMED WITHIN ITS SIDE WALLS FOR RECEIVING A STACK OF CUPS, AT LEAST TWO OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS HAVING PANELS FOLDED TO FORM STIFF BUT YIELDABLE CUP SUPPORTING MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS INTO THE CARTON, SAID MEMBERS EACH BEING FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF PANELS AND A GLUE FLAP, ONE OF THE PANELS BEING FOLDABLE ALONG A SCORE LINE BETWEEN THE PANEL AND THE SIDE PANEL AND WITH THE GLUE FLAP GLUED TO THE INSIDE OF THE SIDE PANEL IN SUCH A POSITION THAT THE REMAINING PANELS ARE ANGULARLY BENT ALONG SCORE LINES SO AS TO FORM CUP SUPPORTING PROJECTIONS WHICH CAN BE PULLED DOWNWARDLY TO FORM PROJECTING RIBS WHICH BEAR AGAINST THE TOP SIDES OF THE CUPS AND ENGAGE AND HOLD THE ENTIRE STACK BY THE RIM OF THE LOWERMOST CUP. 